Social Communicators are asked to keep their feet on the ground

The digital age has opened a lot of opportunities for many to become rich and famous. And while many are enjoying the luxury of fame and power, social media has become an avenue for bragging instead of making use of it as a form of communication.

This was one of the points of the talk of Mr. Nonie Amos during the First SOCOM General Assembly for 2019 of the Archdiocesan Commission on Social Communications (ACSC) held at the San Pedro Calungsod Youth Center, Knights of Columbus in Intramuros, Manila, on February 16, 2019.

Mr. Amos, a Mariology lecturer at the Institute of Catechetics of the Archdiocese of Manila/Religious Association of Formators, who was bare-footed all the while he was giving his talk, shared enriching insights about the Year of the Youth as preparation for the 500 years of Christianity in the country.

He explained, “Once you get to know Mary, you get to know your humanity and your humanity is your groundedness. And that groundedness is your humus. The humus is ground, the root word of our humanity. This one reminds me of my groundedness.”

The whole day assembly was attended by more than 100 members of the Social Communications Ministry of parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila who were asked by the commission to be updated and trained, according to Rev. Fr. Roy Bellen, Assistant Commissioner during his welcome remarks.

“We are members of one another and so we are being asked to become from network communities to human communities,” Fr. Bellen said.

The facilitator who shared her insights during the workshop on scriptwriting was Ms. Sharon Joy Isla of TV Maria while Ms. Pie Fenomeno of Communication Foundation Asia (CFA) shared her expertise in cinematography and production design.

The SOCOM General Assembly is a quarterly meeting of all social communication ministers of all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Manila who are encouraged to participate actively in the programs of the commission whose aim is to help them organize, educate, and motivate to become co-operators in its mission of evangelization making use of the different social media as its platforms.

Last December 1, the ACSC conducted its last assembly for the year 2018 with an advent recollection and Christmas party held at the fourth floor of the Arzobispado de Manila. (Jheng M. Prado / RCAM-AOC)